What is a Longevity Exercise Physiology Session?

Following on from the blog on ‘What is a Clinical Exercise Physiologist?’, today we will discuss what to expect during an Exercise Physiology session/s at Longevity Edgecliff, Lindfield, Marrickville or Randwick.

 

Getting Started

 

Whether you have a referral from another professional, are a private client, have heard about us through word of mouth, or searched us on the web, Longevity can assist you.

 

Book in with one of our Exercise Physiologists or Exercise Scientists for your initial consultation at one of our 4 locations; Edgecliff, Marrickville, Randwick and Lindfield.  Call or email to make a start!

 

After you have enquired, you can expect a friendly phone call so that we can introduce you to our services and start planning your initial consult.

 

Initial Consultation

 

Welcome to Longevity!

 

Your Exercise Physiologist will greet you at our Gym-based location and show you to a comfortable, private setting. They will then go through some initial paperwork before starting an in-depth health questionnaire with you. During this process they aim to gain a thorough understanding of your health history, any current health concerns or injuries and your goals or reason for starting exercise. They also want to get to know you! Are you currently active at work or home? What exercise have you participated in the past? What gets you motivated? What are your likes/dislikes and do certain movements cause you pain?

 

During this consult, your Exercise Physiologist’s aim is to understand your current physical activity levels, for example, are you a frequent exerciser or haven’t been doing as much in recent months? They will provide education on current physical activity guidelines and show you how structured, supervised exercise sessions can easily fit into your week and help you to achieve your goals.

 

Following this consult, you will be taken through a series of assessments including a short cardiovascular assessment and functional strength assessments. Depending on your referral and/or health history, your Exercise Physiologist will perform some other tests such as a postural assessment, gait analysis, Range of Motion testing and observe your movement patterns.

 

Finally, your Exercise Physiologist will complete a Body Composition assessment using Bioelectrical Impedance scales to collect baseline measures such as weight, BMI and body fat %.

 

Before your first exercise session

 

Your Longevity Exercise Physiologist will review your health history, training goals and test results. They will come up with a list of strategies that will help you to best achieve your health goals and the Longevity Exercise Physiologists will meet as a team to discuss these plans to ensure the best outcomes for you. If you were referred, your

Exercise physiologist may check in with your referring practitioner e.g. GP or Physiotherapist in order to gain even further understanding about your health concern or injury.

 

Exercise sessions

At the start of your first session, your Exercise Physiologist will go through the strategies they have devised and explain how they will be implemented into your exercise program.

 

A typical exercise session starts off with a warm-up, such as a walk on the treadmill or stationary cycle.

 

Next your Exercise Physiologist will take you through a series of static and/or dynamic stretches. We then assist you with some passive stretches.

 

Your Exercise Physiologist may take you through some individualised rehabilitation exercises or specific movement or activation exercises that will form the foundation of your training.

 

The rest of the session will be individualised but would typically have a substantial cardiovascular training component such as interval training on the treadmill or bike. It will also have strength training components that use a combination of machines, free weights and body weight.

 

Once again, depending on your health conditions and goals your session may include some extra mobility exercises, balance training and further rehabilitation.

 

The session will conclude with a cool down and final stretch.

What else do we offer as part of the service

• We frequently check in to see how your going, keep you accountable and make sure you are supported throughout your exercise journey.
• We keep assessing and monitoring your improvements, comparing them to your baseline values so that you can clearly see your progress
• We work as a team to ensure that you are completing the best program for your conditions and goals.
• We act as a centre point of your treatment, regularly updating or consulting with your GP and or allied health professionals treating you.
• We constantly assess and review your goals, adjusting or creating new ones when required.
• We progress your exercises and update your program so that you continue to improve and have variety.
• We educate and encourage you to meet the physical activity guidelines through our sessions together and your own independent exercise.
• We are gym based and therefore you can easily build upon your exercise sessions by accessing the gym in your own time.
• We treat your condition/s and/or injury as the primary focus, however we implement exercise as a holistic approach, i.e if you have a shoulder injury, we rehabilitate that injury but also ensure you continue aerobic activity to avoid any de-conditioning or metabolic conditions.

Written by Ashleigh Mead.